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06-03-2008, 05:42 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Party Planner | | Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 28
| | Help on pricing this catering menu, please! Are these good per person pricing? It's for 40 people..I already have the other calculations, just need to know about the pp fees.
Thanks!!! Smothered Pork Chops, BBQ Chicken, Okra with Tomatoes, Corn on the Cob, White Rice, Macaroni & Cheese, Cornbread, Chef Salad……$19.00 pp Fried Chicken, Rib Tips, Collard Greens, Candied Yams, Black Eye Peas with Meat, Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Cornbread, Chef Salad….$18.00pp New Orleans Feast- Sausage & Shrimp Jambayala, Chicken Creole, Red Beans & Rice, Seasoned Squash & Mushroom Medley….$26.00 | 
06-03-2008, 10:04 PM
|  | Registered User Culinary Experience: Former Chef | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Monroiva, CA
Posts: 3,165
| | Pricing is very regional, where are you located? Small town or large? By way of the role region plays in pricing, if I were catering those menus, I'd charge more for the meal headed by fried chicken than for the one headed by jambalaya. BTW, the rib-tips are an excellent choice on your part. A real favorite without being extravagant. Well done!
Food pricing is sometimes also related to presentation, and type of service. A Sunday church buffet lunch is priced less than the same menu, served at the same church for a daytime wedding by wait-staff. This is as much a matter of plating and use of kitchen staff as anything else. Along those lines, what other information can you give us?
Rule of thumb: Never serve ribs before a wedding, unless you want to hear people sucking their teeth during the vows.
On the whole, your prices look fair. But you know more than anyone who isn't in your area how competitive they are.
Good luck with your event,
BDL | 
06-03-2008, 10:22 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Party Planner | | Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 28
| | Quote:
Originally Posted by boar_d_laze Pricing is very regional, where are you located? Small town or large? By way of the role region plays in pricing, if I were catering those menus, I'd charge more for the meal headed by fried chicken than for the one headed by jambalaya. BTW, the rib-tips are an excellent choice on your part. A real favorite without being extravagant. Well done!
Food pricing is sometimes also related to presentation, and type of service. A Sunday church buffet lunch is priced less than the same menu, served at the same church for a daytime wedding by wait-staff. This is as much a matter of plating and use of kitchen staff as anything else. Along those lines, what other information can you give us?
Rule of thumb: Never serve ribs before a wedding, unless you want to hear people sucking their teeth during the vows.
On the whole, your prices look fair. But you know more than anyone who isn't in your area how competitive they are.
Good luck with your event,
BDL | Hello!
I'm in a small town in Atlanta. This catering job is for a small family reunion next month. Thanks on the kudos of the usage on Rib Tips! | 
06-04-2008, 09:22 AM
|  | ChefTalk Moderator Culinary Experience: Professional Caterer | | Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: St. Louis Mo
Posts: 6,856
| | Are these prices including: equipment, placesettings or paper products, beverages, tax, waitstaff, is it a drop off or are you staying, desserts, how long will it be set up/are you doing the setup.....
$40 x18 = 720.00 + tax,delivery, setup
Pricing is fairly subjective. My price for 2 entrees would be higher in this market. | 
06-12-2008, 03:29 PM
|  | Registered User Culinary Experience: Professional Caterer | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: Retired but halfway to 1st base.
Posts: 252
| | Quote:
Originally Posted by cheftracy40 Are these good per person pricing? It's for 40 people..I already have the other calculations, just need to know about the pp fees. | Two caterers in the same market may have per plate pricing that varies by 100%. You have to determine what your skill is worth. It's easy enough to calculate the food costs, labor costs, etc. What is the dollar value of having you cater versus another caterer.
If your food and service is fabulous...well, you're not charging enough. If you're uncertain about the quality, maybe you're charging too much. | 
06-20-2008, 10:39 AM
|  | Registered User Culinary Experience: Culinary Instructor | | Join Date: May 2006 Location: PALM BEACH FLORIDA
Posts: 2,239
| | Does this include, service, rentals, delivery, setup? There are a lot of variables to numerous to mention, all of the answers received are worthwhile. Also what percentages do you feel comfortable with both food cost and labor cost.
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